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Bastrop County
The Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop is designed in classical revival style. Built in 1883, the Courthouse and Jail Complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
The Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop is designed in classical revival style. Built in 1883, the Courthouse and Jail Complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
Map of Texas highlighting Bastrop County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1837
Named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop
Seat Bastrop
Largest city Elgin
Area
 • Total 896 sq mi (2,320 km2)
 • Land 888 sq mi (2,300 km2)
 • Water 7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 97,216
 • Density 108.50/sq mi (41.892/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 10th, 27th
Bastrop County, TX, Courthouse IMG 0516
Closeup view of the Bastrop County Courthouse, located across from the Roman Catholic Church in Bastrop
Confederate obelisk at Bastrop County, TX, Courthouse IMG 0521
Obelisk commemorating Bastrop County soldiers in the army of the Confederate States of America is located on the courthouse grounds
Veterans Memorial at Bastrop County, TX, Courthouse IMG 0518
Veterans Memorial at Bastrop County Courthouse
Bastrop County, TX, Historical Museum IMG 0501
The Bastrop County Historical Museum in Bastrop periodically changes its exhibits

Bastrop County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Bastrop.

As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,216. Bastrop County is included in the AustinRound Rock, Texas, metropolitan statistical area.

History

In 1834, the provincial legislature of Coahuila y Tejas – established by the Mexican Constitution of 1824 – met in Saltillo and established the Municipality and County of Mina consisting of parts of present-day Mason, Kimble, Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Gillespie, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, Fayette, Washington and Lavaca Counties.

On December 14, 1837, the second Congress of the Republic of Texas adjusted geographical limits to create Fayette County, and remove Gonzales and Caldwell Counties from Mina's boundaries. On December 18, 1837, Sam Houston signed acts that (a) incorporated the town of Mina and (b) changed the name of the county and town of Mina to Bastrop to honor Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, an early Dutch settler who helped Stephen F. Austin obtain land grants in Texas.

On May 24, 1838, the Republic of Texas added parts of Kimble and Comal Counties to contain parts of present-day Blanco, Burnet, Williamson, Travis, Hays, Comal, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, and Fayette counties.

From January 25, 1840, to January 25, 1850, Bastrop county limits shifted nearly to its present dimensions, including small portions of Lee, Williamson, Caldwell, Gonzales and Fayette Counties.

In December 1942, Bastrop was the site of an alleged military murder, in which Sgt. Walter Springs was gunned down by a White military police officer following a dispute. Springs was shot in the back, but the case remains largely unsolved to this day. A memorial scholarship in his honor has been active at his alma mater, Regis University, for most of the period since 1952 and has the backing of former NBA All Star Chauncey Billups.

In September 2011, Bastrop County suffered the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, which destroyed over 1,600 homes.

.....

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 896 square miles (2,320 km2), of which 888 square miles (2,300 km2) is land and 7.4 square miles (19 km2) (0.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 3,099
1860 7,006 126.1%
1870 12,209 74.3%
1880 17,215 41.0%
1890 20,736 20.5%
1900 26,845 29.5%
1910 25,344 −5.6%
1920 26,649 5.1%
1930 23,888 −10.4%
1940 21,610 −9.5%
1950 19,622 −9.2%
1960 16,925 −13.7%
1970 17,297 2.2%
1980 24,726 42.9%
1990 38,263 54.7%
2000 57,733 50.9%
2010 74,171 28.5%
2020 97,216 31.1%
2023 (est.) 110,778 49.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020
Bastrop County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 42,446 45,751 57.23% 47.06%
Black or African American alone (NH) 5,535 5,460 7.46% 5.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 315 312 0.42% 0.32%
Asian alone (NH) 449 718 0.61% 0.74%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 54 63 0.07% 0.06%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 115 417 0.16% 0.43%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,067 3,011 1.44% 3.10%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 24,190 41,484 32.61% 42.67%
Total 74,171 97,216 100.00% 100.00%

As of the census of 2000, 57,733 people, 20,097 households, and 14,771 families resided in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile (25 people/km2). The 22,254 housing units averagedf 25 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.2% White, 8.8% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 7.7% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. About 24.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 20,097 households, 35.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were not families. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.23. As of the 2010 census, about 7.8 same-sex couples per 1,000 households lived in the county.

In the county, the population was distributed as 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,578, and for a family was $49,456. Males had a median income of $32,843 versus $25,536 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,146. About 8.4% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The following school districts serve Bastrop County:

  • Bastrop Independent School District
  • Elgin Independent School District (partial)
  • Lexington Independent School District (partial)
  • McDade Independent School District
  • Smithville Independent School District (partial)

Austin Community College is the designated community college for most of the county. Areas in Lexington ISD are in Blinn Junior College District.

Transportation

Central Texas Airport has been proposed about ten miles 10 miles (16 km) NW of the town of Bastrop, but has met with local opposition.

Major highways

  • US 290.svg U.S. Highway 290
  • Texas 21.svg State Highway 21
  • Texas 71.svg State Highway 71
  • Texas 95.svg State Highway 95
  • Texas 304.svg State Highway 304

Recreational facilities

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

In popular culture

Several Hollywood feature films and notable independent films have used locations in Bastrop County.

Year Film Top Billed Cast Location
1974 Lovin' Molly Anthony Perkins, Blythe Danner Bastrop
1975 The Great Waldo Pepper Robert Redford, Bo Svenson Elgin
1994 Love and a .45 Gil Bellows, Renée Zellweger Bastrop (Gas station)
1995 The Big Green Steve Guttenberg, Olivia d'Abo Elgin
1996 Courage Under Fire Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan Bastrop
1996 The Whole Wide World Vincent D'Onofrio, Renée Zellweger Bastrop
1997 The Only Thrill Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard Bastrop
1998 The Dentist 2 Corbin Bernsen, Jillian McWhirter Smithville
1998 Home Fries Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson Bastrop
1998 Hope Floats Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr. Smithville
1999 Varsity Blues James Van Der Beek, Amy Smart Elgin
1999 The Soul Collector Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Gilbert Bastrop
2004 Friday Night Lights Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black Elgin
2004 The Alamo Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton Bastrop
Jim Small's Big Thicket (Lake camp scenes)
Steiner Ranch (Bexar & Alamo scenes)
2006 All the Boys Love Mandy Lane Amber Heard, Anson Mount Bastrop
2008 Fireflies in the Garden Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds Bastrop (T. A. Hasler House)
Smithville
2009 The Tree of Life Brad Pitt, Sean Penn Smithville
2009 Friday the 13th (2009 film) Jared Padalecki, Derek Mears Camp
2010 Bernie Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black Bastrop
Smithville
2013 Prince Avalanche Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch Bastrop
2014 Boyhood Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke Bastrop

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Bastrop para niños

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